From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS AND MAKES RECORD DONATION TO THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION

$7.2 million check presented to MDA during company’s anniversary celebration

MILWAUKEE — Harley-Davidson Motor Company surpassed its 100th Anniversary celebration fundraising goal by presenting a check to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for $7,286,191.57, making Harley-Davidson MDA’s top corporate partner for 2003. Harley-Davidson Motor Company President and Chief Operating Officer Jim McCaslin made the announcement during the 100th Anniversary Party on Sunday, August 31 in Milwaukee, WI. The company set an original goal of raising $5 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The Harley-Davidson family of customers, dealers employees and suppliers conducted various fundraising activities including rider pledges, dealer fundraisers, motorcycle raffles and pin sales. Fundraising activities for the Muscular Dystrophy Association took place worldwide over the 14-month period leading up to the Harley-Davidson Anniversary Celebration in Milwaukee.

“We considered our 100th Anniversary fundraising goal for the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be ambitious, but we knew it could happen with hard work from everyone involved,” said McCaslin. “I’m personally grateful to our customers, dealers, employees and suppliers who rose to the occasion and helped us not only meet but surpass our expectations.”

The 100th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson marked the 23rd year the Motor Company has been associated with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. During that time, the Harley-Davidson family of customers, dealers, employees and suppliers have raised more than $47 million to aid research and program services for children and adults with neuromuscular disease. The Funds raised at the various 100th Anniversary events will help support life-saving research, comprehensive medical care and the very special MDA Summer Camp.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight street, custom and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport motorcycles in addition to motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs to Harley-Davidson/Buell dealers and customers.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

HACKING, BUCKMASTER WILL DECIDE AMA SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP AT BARBER

Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei set to belong to Yamaha for the first time in 9 years

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 16, 2003) — Jamie Hacking and Damon Buckmaster are both looking to win their first AMA Championship this weekend as the 2003 Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei concludes this Sunday, Sept. 21, at Barber Motorsports Park.

A mere 15 points separates the two Yamaha teammates coming into the final round. And while Hacking and Buckmaster happen to be teammates, there has been a fair amount of tension between the two this season. Each has criticized the other at times this year, perhaps owing in part to the pressures both racing veterans feel in their quest to earn their first titles. Regardless of the occasional ill feelings toward one another, Hacking and Buckmaster have been the class of AMA Supersport this year.

Hacking comes into the season finale with a series-leading four wins. The British-born South Carolinian needs to finish eighth or better to secure the championship. Hacking is in his seventh year of AMA Pro Racing and ever since he burst onto the scene by winning the pole and leading his very first AMA race — the Pro Honda Supersport race in Phoenix in 1997 — big things have been expected of him. A perennial frontrunner, Hacking has never been able to put together a complete season until this year. Who could blame him if he feels the pressure of being on the verge of winning his first championship?

“I’ve never been in this position so I really don’t know what to expect,” said Hacking who is tied with Doug Polen for fourth on the all-time AMA Supersport wins list. “I’m just going out there and do the best I can. I’ve put myself in a position to win this championship and I don’t want to take any chances, but at the same time this field is so competitive that if you get too relaxed you’ll find yourself finishing out of the top 10. It’s pressure, no doubt, but I’ve just got to put that out of my head and ride like I have been all year.”

Buckmaster has tallied an impressive five podium finishes in the series and broke through to win his first AMA Supersport race last month in Alton, Va. That win couldn’t have come at a better time for Buckmaster. The championship was slipping away and his first victory suddenly put him back in the thick of the title chase. The 30-year-old Australian knows that every point is precious this weekend. Look for him to make a hard push to try to earn the pole point and attempt to take the early lead in the final in an attempt to earn the lap-leader point as well. Buckmaster is also in contention for the Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme Series title.

“Yamaha is guaranteed one and two in the championship either way,” said Buckmaster. “I would love to end the season on a winning note.” With either Hacking or Buckmaster, Yamaha will claim back the U.S. Supersport title it last owned in 1994 with Jamie James. The Supersport championship has traditionally been the closest competition in AMA Pro road racing.

Other riders hope to end the season with a victory even if the championship is out of reach. Suzuki’s Ben Spies has been called the future of American road racing by many in the motorcycle racing press. Spies, is third in the Supersport standings on a bike that is already considered outdated in the fast-moving world of Supersport racing — even though it was the same machine that carried Aaron Yates to the championship last year. Spies would like to put an exclamation point with a win at Barber. Others to watch for at Barber include the Kawasaki duo of Tommy Hayden and Tony Meiring and Honda aces Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel.

For additional information on this weekend’s doubleheader contact Barber Motorsports Park at (205) 967-4745 or visit www.barbermotorsports.com. The Supersport finale at Barber will be taped and shown in primetime on Speed Channel on Tuesday night, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. Eastern.

From press releases:

Cycle Screens is now accepting race resume’s for 2004 for PUIG RACING SCREENS.

Send your racing resume to:

PUIG/Cycle Screens
P.O. Box 158
Ventura, CA 93002

Or visit www.cyclescreens.com



Galfer Braking Systems is now accepting 2004 Race Resume’s.

Please send your resume to:

Galfer Braking Systems
Race Dept.
67 W. Mc Farlane
Ventura, CA 93001

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

SPEED Channel has announced a change in its programming schedule and now plans to show four hours of live and tape-delayed coverage of the AMA series finale at Barber Motorsports Park September 20-21.

Originally, SPEED was scheduled to show the AMA Superbike and Supersport races from Barber on the following Tuesday, September 23, but those plans were changed today.

SPEED is now planning on showing Saturday’s AMA Superbike race at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday evening. On Sunday, SPEED intends to show the AMA Supersport and 250cc Grand Prix races live at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. The second and last AMA Superbike race of the season will be taped and aired at 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening, filling the slot that would have been occupied by the FIM 250cc Grand Prix from Rio, Brazil.

The FIM MotoGP World Championship race from Brazil will be aired tape-delayed at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, September 21, as originally scheduled.

The Brazilian Grand Prix is actually run on Saturday, September 20.

SPEED’s schedule for Tuesday, September 23 currently shows the FIM 250cc Grand Prix as being shown at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time followed by both AMA Superbike races from Barber Motorsports Park.

The AMA Formula Xtreme race from Barber is scheduled to air Tuesday, September 30 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, immediately following the two World Superbike races from Imola.

The penultimate round of the 2003 World Superbike series will not be shown by SPEED on the date it is run, September 28. The United States Grand Prix FIA Formula One race, however, will be shown three times within 15 hours (1:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time) on SPEED September 28, according to the programming schedule on www.speedtv.com.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Brian Floyd Emde, the only son to David Charles Emde, was told of his father’s tragic accident shortly after his arrival at his mother’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona on Monday, September 15, 2003. Brian, a sixth grader who quickly earned the rank of Private from Millersburg Military Institute, Millersburg, Kentucky had made his father extremely proud. Dave fostered a very close relationship with Brian from the moment of birth and shared many motorcycling memories as Brian grew up. Brian will miss his father and the times they both shared together. Please say a prayer for our son, Brian Floyd Emde, and ask God to give Brian the strength to overcome his unexpected, terrible loss. Escondido Cycle Center located in Escondido, California is hosting a benefit ride and is accepting contributions for the Brian Floyd Emde Scholarship fund. Interested parties can contact Escondido Cycle Center for more information. I personally thank you all for sharing your kind words and memories of David Emde and I shall collect and share all your messages with Brian. God bless David and his friends. Rebekah Dodson (Emde) Scottsdale, Arizona [email protected]

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Fire destroyed nearly 60 percent of one of the world’s largest motorcycle museums, the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, England, Tuesday.

According to a BBC report, three of five exhibition halls and approximately 650 of the 900 vintage motorcycles stored and displayed at the facility were damaged or destroyed. The report described the motorcycles kept at the museum as “unique, priceless and irreplaceable” and valued the loss between $11.2 and $14.4 million.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Museum owner Roy Richards told reporters that he will reopen the museum.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Jason Pridmore will not ride for Suzuki GB Phase One in the final race of the 2003 FIM Endurance World Championship October 5 at Vallelunga in Italy.

Pridmore broke his left leg in a fall at Virginia International Raceway September 1, and although he had surgery to mend the fracture and planned to race at Vallelunga, he has been ruled out by Suzuki GB Phase One team manager Russell Benney.

“I’ve got six great riders to choose from (Jason Pridmore, James Ellison, Jimmy Lindstrom, Dean Ellison, Olivier Four, Josh Hayes), and I just can’t risk using the one who broke his leg 28 days before the race,” Benney was quoted as saying in a posting on the team’s official website.

“…The Vallelunga race will be a real sprint, and with the extra intensity of the competition there’s a chance we may have to pick the bike up out of the gravel or maybe push in; I just can’t risk Jason in that situation.
“Jason is Mr. Commitment; he desperately wants to see the championship through to the end – perhaps putting his medical interests into second place – and I really admire his drive and respect his strength of personality. He’s a real hero to the team, and this season has been the pinnacle of his seven years of riding with us. To him, I’m sure it won’t be the same to not be at the last race of the season, but he’s played as big a part in our results this season as anyone.”

Suzuki GB Phase One, which needs to finish only 12th or better to win its third FIM Endurance World Championship, has named James and Dean Ellison and Jimmy Lindstrom as its riders for the 200-mile Vallelunga race.

Jason Pridmore could not be reached for comment at post time.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kenz JTrust Suzuki’s Keiichi Kitagawa wrapped up the 2003 All-Japan Road Racing Series JSB1000 Championship with a win Sunday, September 14 at Sugo.

Riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000, Kitagawa won the 25-lap race by over two seconds ahead of Honda-mounted Takeshi Tsujimura and his main title contender Atsushi Watanabe.

American Doug Polen raced a Moto Liberty Honda CBR954RR at Sugo in the Super NK class but DNF.

RESULTS:

All-Japan Road Race Series
Round 7 of 8
Sugo:

1. Keiichi Kitagawa (Suz GSX-R1000), 25 laps, 38:23.427
2. Takeshi Tsujimura (Hon CBR954RR), -2.787 seconds
3. Atsushi Watanabe (Suz GSX-R1000), -5.320 seconds
4. Hitoyasu Izutsu (Hon CBR954RR), -13.360 seconds
5. Shin’ichi Nakatomi (Yam YZF-R1), -15.242 seconds
6. Tatsuya Yamaguichi (Hon CBR954RR), -16.169 seconds

31. Doug Polen (Hon CBR954RR), -11 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: Noriyasu Numata (Duc 996), 1:31.134, lap 2/25

Pole Position: Atsushi Watanabe (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:30.629

All-Japan Road Race Series Point Standings (After round 7 of 8):

1. Kitagawa, 114 points
2. Watanabe, 87 points
3. Tsujimura, 78 points
4. Yamaguichi, 66 points
5. Izutsu, 64 points
6. Akira Tamitsuji, 48 points

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AUSSIE WILL TRY TO SECURE TITLE AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK SUPERBIKE DOUBLEHEADER

Mladin on the verge of becoming first four-time AMA Superbike Champion


PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2003) — Three-time AMA Superbike Champion Mathew Mladin will try to become the first four-time champ in series history this weekend, Sept. 19-21, at the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited doubleheader at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Ala. Mladin, 31, is hoping to accomplish a goal that AMA racing legends Reg Pridmore, Fred Merkel and Doug Chandler were never able to fulfill. All three were three-time AMA Superbike champs and all three tried to win a fourth title, but came up short. Mladin is almost a lock to win his fourth. Coming into this weekend’s doubleheader Mladin has a commanding 37-point lead over Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Aaron Yates. Honda’s Ben Bostrom, third in the championship point standings, is the only other rider with a mathematical chance of winning the title. Mladin needs just 38 points in the final two rounds to clinch the title. A win is worth 36 points. In addition a point is awarded for winning the pole and for leading the most laps in each race.

This weekend’s event will mark the debut of AMA Superbike racing at the new Barber Motorsports Park. The 700-acre complex is a state-of-the-art facility and already considered one of the premier road courses in the country. This weekend will also feature the opening of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, which houses one of the largest collections of rare, vintage and racing motorcycles in the world.

Mladin has the opportunity to rewrite a number of AMA Superbike records at Barber. In addition to possibly becoming the first four-time champion, the Aussie also can break the single season AMA Superbike wins record of 10, a record he currently shares with Fred Merkel. If Mladin manages to win both of the season-ending rounds at Barber he would tie Miguel Duhamel on the all-time AMA Superbike wins list. Duhamel currently leads the list with 26-career Superbike wins; Mladin has 24 coming into the Barber doubleheader. Mladin was the fastest Superbike rider in testing at Barber earlier this summer. If Mladin has any superstition in him at all he might be suffering some sleepless nights in the week leading up to Barber. The previous three-time AMA Superbike champions all met with nothing but tough luck in their quest to become four-time champs. Pridmore won the first three AMA Superbike titles, but when trying to earn his fourth title in 1979 Pridmore sustained serious injuries and even though he might have been able to come back he was 40-years-old at the time and decided it was better to retire from racing. Merkel left the U.S. after winning his third AMA Superbike title in 1986. The Californian went on to win a pair of World Superbike Championships before returning to race the AMA series again in 1994. Merkel tried unsuccessfully for two years to win a fourth AMA Superbike title, like Pridmore he decided to hang up his leathers after a bad crash at the end of the 1995 season and retired to a ranch in New Zealand. The other three-time AMA Superbike champion Doug Chandler came the closest to winning a fourth title. After winning his third in 1997 he finished runner-up in the series to Ben Bostrom in 1998. Chandler continued trying to capture the elusive fourth title in the coming years, and even though he now seems to have turned his attention to AMA Supermoto racing, the 37-year-old veteran hasn’t closed the book on trying to come back to Superbike racing.

While Mladin has been dominant this season with 10 wins, four other riders have earned victories this season. Miguel Duhamel, Eric Bostrom, Aaron Yates and Kurtis Roberts all have stood atop the podium this year.

Roberts finally earned his first AMA Superbike win in his 34th-career race. Some believe now that Roberts has finally won a race the flood gates may open and he could be the rider to beat in the final two rounds at Barber.

Duhamel has plenty of incentive to win at Barber. The Canadian likes being the all-time AMA Superbike wins leader and he’s likely to turn in a pair of very strong rides trying to protect that record from Mladin.

Duhamel’s Honda teammate Bostrom also has a strong desire to win this weekend. If there is one curse in AMA Superbike racing it seems to be the curse of riders returning from World Superbike competition. The aforementioned Merkel, who at the time was the all-time AMA Superbike wins leader, never won another AMA Superbike race after he returned from World Superbike competition. The same can be said of Doug Polen and Scott Russell. Three of the most talented and respected riders in the history of Superbike racing were not able to string together a single victory between them after coming back from the World Superbike Series.

Bostrom hopes to escape that curse and take his first home win since coming back from three seasons of World Superbike.

For additional information on this weekend’s doubleheader contact Barber Motorsports Park at (205) 967-4745 or visit the website
www.barbermotorsports.com.

Both Superbike rounds at Barber will be taped and shown in primetime on Speed Channel on Tuesday night, Sept. 23, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time.



Schedule of Events
Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama – Sept. 19-21, 2003

Thursday, Sept. 18
3:00 – 7:00 – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

3:00 – 7:00 – Tech Inspection

Friday, Sept. 19
7:30 – 4:00 – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

10:00 – Entries Close for all Classes

8:00 – 5:00 – Tech Inspection

8:30 – 10:30 – Practice: 1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport; 2. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme; 3. Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock;
4. MBNA 250 Grand Prix

10:40 – 11:40 – Chevy Trucks Superbike Practice

11:40 – 12:40 – Lunch Break

12:00 – Mandatory Rider Briefing for All Classes

12:40 – 2:30 – Practice (same order as morning session)

2:40 – 3:40 – Chevy Trucks Superbike Qualifying

3:50 – 4:20 – Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying, Group 1

4:30 – 5:00 – Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying, Group 2

Saturday, Sept. 20
7:30 – 3:00 – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

8:00 – 5:00 – Tech Inspection

8:00 – 9:40 – Practice: 1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport; 2. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme; 3. Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock;
4. MBNA 250 Grand Prix

9:50 – 10:50 – Chevy Trucks Superbike Qualifying

11:00 – 11:20 – Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Qualifying, Group 1

11:30 – 11:50 – Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Qualifying, Group 2

11:50 – 12:40 – Lunch Break – Fan Track Ride

12:40 – 1:00 – Chevy Trucks Superbike Practice

1:10 – 1:45 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying

2:00 – Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 1 (100K – 28 laps);
MBNA 250 Grand Prix Qualifying, 20 Minute Session;
Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Race (60k – 17 laps)

Sunday, Sept. 21
8:30 – 12:00 – Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests

9:00 – Tech Inspection Opens

9:00 – 11:00 – Practice: 1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport; 2. MBNA 250 Grand Prix; 3. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme; 4. Chevy Trucks
Superbike

11:00 – Lunch Break – Fan Track Ride

11:20 – Nondenominational Chapel Service

12:00 – FINAL EVENTS:
Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets (60k – 17 laps);

MBNA 250 Grand Prix (60k – 17 laps)

2:00 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme (60k – 17 laps)

3:00 – Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 2 (100k – 28 laps)

From a press release issued by AMA Sports:

RESERVATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR INAUGURAL AMA SPORTS AWARDS BANQUET

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – AMA Sports, which manages amateur and pro-am competition for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), has announced that it has begun accepting reservations for the inaugural AMA Sports Awards Banquet, to be held Friday evening, November 21, at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Conference Center.

Stars from more than a dozen motorcycle-competition disciplines will be honored by AMA Sports, the world’s largest motorsports-sanctioning body.

Among those honored at the AMA Sports Awards Banquet will be the AMA’s 2003 Horizon Award Winners: Davi Millsaps of Georgia in motocross; Ohioan Ricky Marshall in dirt track; and Brian Stokes of Georgia in road racing.

Announcement of the 2003 AMA Sports Athlete of the Year, Youth Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Vet/Senior Athlete of the Year and Sportsman of the Year also will be among the evening’s highlights.

Tickets for the 2003 AMA Sports Awards Banquet are $75 per person and include entry to the evening’s hosted reception, dinner, a souvenir program and memorabilia, and seating for the awards ceremony.

Speed Channel personality Greg White and veteran race announcer Tim Cotter will serve as masters-of-ceremonies.

For reservations to the AMA Sports Awards Ceremony, contact Sue Mason at (614) 856-1900, Ext. 1220, or at [email protected].

Attendees staying at the Las Vegas Hilton will receive a special room rate of $79 if they call (800) 732-7117 and mention the AMA Sports Awards Banquet.